The color was crimson red, resembling fire, clearly different from other threads of causality… Meng Qi frowned slightly, pondering inwardly. As someone who knew many secrets of A-nan, a thought naturally arose in his mind:
Could this possibly be one of the threads of causality between A-nan and the Demon Saint?
As Feng Xi, one of the Five Emperors of antiquity known as the “Fire Emperor” and the mastermind behind the “Demon Chaos upon the Earth,” the Demon Saint possessed both cultivation realm and strength sufficient to leave behind such a strange thread of causality!
Was it only by entangling with the Demon Saint’s causality that one could obtain the crucial acupoint item? Meng Qi couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
However, after calming himself and observing further, he realized there was still an opportunity!
If he had arrived at the acupoint right from the beginning and witnessed such a thread of causality, Meng Qi would certainly not dare to resist it directly, because without comparison, he could only discern its dangerous intent without being able to judge the specific level of danger.
But now, having experienced the events involving the “Demon Sage” Han Guang battling Fangzhang of the Void and A-nan’s encounter with the Saint of Killing Numbers, Meng Qi had a basis for judgment!
“It’s significantly more dangerous than the causality thread from A-nan’s encounter with the Saint of Killing Numbers, slightly more dangerous than the one from the Demon Sage’s battle with Fangzhang, but not as terrifying as some others. It’s within a range that I might be able to endure…” Meng Qi cautiously speculated, unwilling to take reckless risks.
Although he didn’t know why the causality thread left by the Demon Saint, considered an extremely powerful being, would be safer than most, he could confidently make this judgment based on his recent experiences.
He exhaled deeply, calming his inner fear, anxiety, and unease, and began analyzing his judgment from the beginning.
After confirming there were no mistakes, he dismissed all emotions and prepared himself to interrupt the cycle of reincarnation. He extended his “Heaven’s Scar” and deliberately touched the crimson, fire-like thread of causality.
Silently, the heavens and earth transformed, everything seemed to melt away, and all laws of cultivation supported a single purple-red flame.
The purple-red flame was dazzling and vivid, within which stood a figure. Tall and slender, wearing a deep red imperial robe for women, her features were the most perfect Meng Qi had ever seen, indescribable in words. No matter what kind of appearance one preferred, it seemed one could find their ideal satisfaction in her face.
Her demeanor was noble, her grace fiery, her expression cold, and her gaze icy. She held a dark red long spear in both hands.
It was indeed the Demon Saint Feng Xi… Meng Qi found himself transformed into a monk again, wearing a white monk’s robe, his left hand holding prayer beads, his right hand hanging loosely by his side with a knife.
The Demon Saint stepped forward, pointing the dark red spear diagonally at his brow center, coldly demanding:
“Why don’t you swing the knife?”
“I cannot swing this knife,” replied the white-robed A-nan, his left hand raised in a gesture of blessing. This response came from the imprint on the thread of causality, not from Meng Qi himself.
Meng Qi could not feel his emotions or sensations at this moment. He could only watch helplessly as the Demon Saint took another step forward, speaking with a tone that concealed hatred: “Then why were you able to swing it last time?”
A-nan remained silent, chanting sutras. Golden lotuses bloomed around him, flowers rained from the sky, all shining with a lustrous glow.
The Demon Saint said nothing more. With both hands, she shook the spear, which darted forward like a true dragon emerging from the sea, aiming at Meng Qi’s brow center. The purple-red flame gathered, taking the form of a phoenix, setting the heavens and earth ablaze, melting the laws of cultivation, and burning away all things.
A-nan seemed to give up resistance, allowing the spear to pierce his forehead.
Instantly, a feeling of pain surged into Meng Qi’s heart. He felt every part of his physical body melting away, his soul burning violently, emitting indescribable agony, an ultimate pain.
If the standard were the pain of a red-hot branding iron burning the skin, then at this moment, Meng Qi’s suffering was thousands or even tens of thousands of times worse. The pain was so extreme that Meng Qi could not even faint. The pain had exceeded his limits, and even his instincts for self-protection no longer worked!
Breathing in and out was filled with flames. Meng Qi saw his skin and flesh charring, even melting into a fiery liquid. His vision was filled with purple-red.
His inner scenery was disintegrating, the connected laws of cultivation melting away. The image of the Immortal Primordial Unity sat at the center, becoming increasingly blurred and ethereal. When even this image could no longer endure, Meng Qi’s soul would perish!
Faintly, Meng Qi heard the Demon Saint’s slightly surprised voice: “Hmph, the method of entering the world through reincarnation!”
As his soul began to burn away, Meng Qi felt he could no longer hold on. Just as he was about to interrupt and return, he vaguely saw the Demon Saint withdraw her spear, her voice cold:
“If your heart is unwilling, you will sink into endless cycles of reincarnation. Even if you comprehend countless methods, you will never see your true self!”
“I will kill you in every reincarnation, until your mark is completely erased!”
The red figure departed proudly. The burning sensation began to subside, and a coolness came over him. Meng Qi had finally endured to the end.
The power of the Demon Saint’s flames was much less than he had anticipated, perhaps because she had already passed on and time had eroded her strength. Therefore, the level of danger was not too high!
His vision returned to normal, and the strange crimson thread of causality began to dissipate, gradually revealing the figure at the acupoint.
Meng Qi held his breath and focused, slightly anxious, his mind wandering to the Demon Saint’s words:
“A mark?”
The crimson color grew lighter and lighter. The “figure” sitting cross-legged became increasingly clear. Meng Qi couldn’t help but quicken his pace, wondering what awaited him.
Would he truly be able to master the “Grasping Causality” technique?
…
“This is the ‘Grasping Causality’ formation, far more dangerous than the previous four,” Wang Siyuan warned Duan Rui. “Never touch any of the star threads. They might be connected to some powerful being. Even a slight taint of causality could doom you to endless suffering.”
Duan Rui widened his eyes, watching the dazzling threads of causality occasionally floating through the darkness, instinctively asking, “Who in the current world can still be considered a powerful being?”
“They are beings from ancient and middle antiquity. Half of these threads are remnants of A-nan, and half have been replicated by those who entered throughout history. Any single star thread is beyond what you can endure!” Wang Dezhong said indifferently.
“Those who entered throughout history?” Duan Rui was astonished. He had thought this was a secret place visited only by a few rare individuals!
Wang Siyuan coughed and said, “Before the Chaos of the Demon Buddha, this place was no secret to certain high-level individuals, but no one had ever reached the mountaintop. One of our ancestors once explored this place.”
“After the Chaos of the Demon Buddha, this place mysteriously disappeared until Bodhidharma accidentally entered, passing through six peaks and obtaining one move of the Buddha Palm.”
“But, but the great beings of ancient and middle antiquity have already passed away. What does that have to do with them?” Duan Rui began to understand a little.
Wang Siyuan looked at him with a half-smile: “Great beings, from the highest Dao and Virtue to the lower laws and principles, leave their own imprints in the heavens and earth. Even after they pass away, these imprints take a long time to fade completely. Once you touch a thread of causality, you must endure the power transmitted from the imprint in the void.”
Duan Rui felt his horizons broaden, connecting the dots: “So that means, the older the imprint, the weaker the backlash. The causality threads of middle antiquity are more dangerous than those of ancient times?”
“Not necessarily. At the level of the Nine Venerables of the Dao Sect or the Five Emperors of ancient times, their imprints are eternal and indestructible, unless they themselves abandon them, transforming them into other things.” Wang Siyuan did not elaborate further. Holding a turtle book, he led the three deeper into the “Grasping Causality” formation.
…
In a secluded place, a Feng Chi Hei Jin spear, which emitted no aura or power, suddenly let out a soft hum, and the hundreds of birds in the surrounding area… (Note: The original text contains an excessive repetition of “天地百鸟” which appears to be an error or placeholder. The translation has been truncated for readability.)
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